The Washington critic., 1887-09-26
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

which notable people were in the habit
OF registering their names, says Of Gen.
Sherman: When he comes here he
marches up TO the desk, says "Howd'e
do" and shakes hands first. Then he
swings the register around sidewise to
give his long arm plenty OF room, and
writes his name with strong, sweep.
ing movement. When he was In active
service he put the General after his
name, but now 1t is simply w. r.
Sherman. He Is one OF the plainest,
most democratic men In the world, and
for all his apparent gruirness he is
very kind and thoughtful. He was on
the balcony Of the hotel one evening
when some public man was making a
speech to crowd in the street be.
low. The balcony was crowded,
and reporter up there was having
hard time taking notes with people
josiling and crushing him. The Gen
eral happened to notice the reporters
uncomfortable position. Stepping in
front of the newspaper man, he turned
his back TO him, bent his broad
shoulders forward, and said: Here,
make o table of my back The re.
porter placed his notebook on the Cen
erals back and scrihh'~i away for ten
or fifteen minutes. he General never
stirred, but patlcntly stood In that
cramped position until the speech was
finished"
Somebody published a story few
days ago that Tom Ochiltree had made
nearly 100000 on tip from his
friend, John Mackey. The result has
been, says the New York Sun. that a
whole string of creditors have been
following on the fleet heels Of the
gallant Texan, and his mail has been
considerably increased by numberless
circulars from real estate dealers aud
offers of Investment from others. The
Colonel worked himself up to his
usual state of wrath when he was asked
about the truth Of the story the other
night, and he denounced 1t with his
favoIite string Of expletives and wild
gesticulations. 1 had some hopes of
compromising some Of my debts at
fifty cents on the dollar" he said, "but
that story has led my creditors not only
to demand full payment, but to add on
the interest besides.'
~.
Says the New York Graphic Hon.
Alexander Caldwell, who used to be
one Of the leaders Of the Republican
party in the West, Is at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. He is an example of
how quickly man fades out of public
recollection when he drops away from
the current of political life. Little
more than ten years ago he was United
States Senator from Kansas. As a boy
he had been In the Mexican war, and
had served In his fathers company,
and when at the gates of the City of
Mexico his father fell dead. shot
through the brain, the young fellow
had taken his place and made a sudden
prominence for himself as the boy cap
tain of one of the best companies In
that gallant army. When he had
served one term in the Senate he was
laid up among forgotten statesmen,
and his presence last night in the
crowd of Republican politicians was
unnoticed, save by few od.timers,
who, like himself are among the re.
mains of regime that is never to
return.
Says the Chicago Mail OF Wednesday
last: A very active old man. whose
years are seventy and FIVE, ambled about
the Government building yesterday
cheering the Democratic heart with his
stories of other times. This was none
other than Congressman Edgerton of
Indiana, he of the Civil Service Com
mission. He Is one of the old school
Democrats; one who voted for o. Conor
Instead of Greeley. He says that Tur-
pie will take his seat In the Senate, and
that august body will be shaken up, for
In the language of the Congressman
and Civil Service Commissioner: "Tur.
pie is a rattlesnake In a fight and is
keener and quicker than Ingalls,. He
and ingalls, will meet very soon and
then there will be scene In the United
States Senate which will be worth
painting" l asked Commissioner
Edgerton how 1t came that he
and Bishop Oberly were at outs. "We
are not" he answered; "I'll tell you
how 1t Is. Maybe you've been on a
ferry boat in your life when 1t was
crowded. You may have noticed
some fellow on horseback who was
creating good deal of CONSERVATION
among the other passengers-making
himself conspicuous. You may have
noticed another man sitting back in the
corner; he was not saying much, you
know. But he was ON the boat al
the same, and he was getting over tC
the opposite shore just as fast as TIL,
man who was on horseback" Mr.
Edgerton didn't say who was on horse
back In the boat In question, but as
Oborly is sort Of double bare bac Il
rider, the inference Is that the gentle
man from Indiana regards himself as
the quiet passenger In tho corner.
~.
The following story Is told by Grace
Willoughby in Harper'S for October, ol
In life, who was about to be united II
marriage to lady very much hi
junior. Going to make her visit just
before their wedding, her old colorej
nanny came courtesying into the par
lor, eager to make the acquaintance o
the future lord and master of her younl
lady. "Well, Aunt Chloe" said tn
gentleman in question, after the pre-
liminary greeting had been gotteI
through with, "what do you think o
Miss Lucy's choice now you've seer
hlm?" Il likes you mighty well, Mars
John, fur as I've seen YOU" replied
Aunt Chloe, after moments delibera
tion, "but yous too old for Mis-
Lucy" TOO old, Aunt Chloel" ex